


Cotton Candy

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 03:17:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15676932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: You visit Nilmer's Highland and discover that it has turned into a fairground.





	Cotton Candy

Since arriving to Moorland, your attention has definitely been captured by the circus that sits atop the highland. You'd never expected, on that day, that you'd become so enamoured with the circus. From the purple silk walls of the tent, to the flags fluttering gaily in the breeze, to the tall, long-limbed man who had made this highland his temporary home. The strange little clown, Xin, does give you the creeps a little, but you can easily forget about him when you are up on the highland. Up there, with that wonderful magician with his wonderful spells, everything just seems to fade away. Reality distorts, until it is as though you are in a little bubble with him. But perhaps that is just the effect that love has on you.

Lately, however, Ydris has decided to add a few new things to his circus. Not acts, per se, you have never seen any other people or animals up here for acts. Other than the lovely Zee, of course, who prances around like a mare half her weight (and half her age). You perform too, on your horse, when you feel the urge to ride around in the big top. And you do get that urge, quite often in fact. It is what has led you up here today, after all, that urge, that compulsion, to ride around under the big top and imagine that you are performing in Ydris' big show, the one that he has been talking about for some time now. It sounds so wonderful, with spectacle and flashy lights and wonders that you could only dream of. It is little wonder that Isebell Figg is so enamoured with him. That girl... ooh, she makes you jealous. But you try to ignore her. She, after all, does not have Ydris' full attention.

The highland finally comes into view, the large purple tent appearing as if by magic as you ride around past the rocky hills that dot the highland. It never fails to take your breath away, and even your horse gallops a little faster to reach the circus tent in no time. But you both slow when you see the other things around the circus tent. It's... a fairground? You slow your horse to a stop, dismounting so that you don't accidentally barrel into (or bump over) one of the stands selling fairground delights. You can see funnel cakes and smell the popcorn a mile away, along with the delicious, sugary scent of cotton candy. And fried food and...

"Hello, my dove," says Ydris, emerging from out of a smaller purple tent. It is emblazoned with the image of a crystal ball surrounded by two gloved white hands. Your heart leaps at the sight of him, even as he straightens up after ducking out of the tent.

"Hi," you say, your heart seeming to flutter in your chest. "What's all this?" You gesture at the stands set up around you.

"Ah," says Ydris, smiling. "I thought you might notice. I have temporarily transformed my highland into a fairground, with sideshows and wonders and delights. Though, they will not be anywhere near as wonderful as my show, of course." You don't doubt it.

"Why?" you ask, hoping that he won't take offense. He'd never mentioned anything like this before, after all.

"Ah," says Ydris, giving you another one of those smiles that makes you go weak at the knees. "Well, my dove, I was getting a little lonely up on this highland all by myself. I do have your wonderful company, of course, and my little family with Zee and Xin, but if my show is to be as wonderful as I want it to be, I need people to know about it. And what better way than with a little fair? Most other normal circuses take place in fairs, do they not?" You nod, remembering fairs from when you were a child.

"I went to a few growing up," you say. "But none as good as yours." Ydris chuckles, the sound sending a shiver up your spine. He has such a nice laugh.

"Of course not, my dove, nobody can compare to me," says Ydris. "But come, let us take a wander around the fairgrounds." He gestures outwards with his hand, and you walk on ahead of him, excitement thrumming through you as you walk by his side. And, when he takes your hand, your heart threatens to turn into butterflies. Though, when you are up here, that event doesn't seem so unrealistic. It would be expected, really. Maybe you could even turn into a butterfly.

Ydris takes you through the fairgrounds, showing you the sideshows and food stands and even some food trucks selling deep fried food. The fairground is fairs from centuries ago and fairs from more modern days, all rolled into one. There are not many people here at the moment, though, and those that are there wear masks. Like Xin's mask, only better. Nicer. You much prefer these masks, especially the one worn by the cotton candy maker. It actually looks like cotton candy, making you giggle at the thought of someone with a cotton candy head.

While you are distracted, Ydris takes a cone of cotton candy from the vendor and turns to you. But, while you watch him, his tongue darts out and snags some of the cotton candy, the pink cloudstuff disappearing into his mouth. Well, almost. It gets stuck to his lip, and you can't help but laugh.

"I was trying to be nice," Ydris mutters, trying to lick the cotton candy off of his lip. For some reason, it just won't move, making you laugh harder. "Oh, you wretched, sugary treat, why do I love you so?" Though you swear that he is talking about the confection in his hand, he looks at you as he says it, finishing with a dramatic roll of his eyes that causes him to toss his head back. When he looks back at you, the cotton candy is gone from his mouth, and he is holding an additional cone as well as his own one. This cotton candy is also pink.

"Thank you," you say, taking the cotton candy that he has clearly bought for you. You take a bite out of it, amazed when it dissolves in your mouth instantly. It is unlike any cotton candy you have ever eaten before, and you have eaten a lot of it. On sticks, in buckets, in bags, prepackaged from shopping centres, even in cones like this, but you have never tasted anything quite like this. It is not like pure sugar, it is like magic. Like eating a cloud, or at least, how you have always imagined eating a cloud. It is so delicious, in fact, that you manage to polish off your cone while Ydris only gets halfway through his. He smirks, and you just know that you have sugar stuck to your nose and cheeks and mouth and chin, maybe even in your hair, but you don't really care right now. Not when Ydris also has some on the tip of his nose (which you are not going to tell him about).

"Did you enjoy that, little dove?" Ydris asks. You nod, blushing. Maybe your blush will melt the sugar off, but you severely doubt that. If anything, it will only serve to create more mess.

"It's delicious," you say. You look around, amazed. "Is everything here that nice?"

"Of course," says Ydris, looking smug despite the sugar on his nose. "This is my circus of dreams, is it not? The circus where dreams come true."

"Like fairground dreams?" you ask. Ydris nods.

"Come, my dove," says Ydris. "In my circus of dreams, you will never be too full to enjoy fairground treats. And none of them have a negative effect on your waistline."

"Oh, so it's not just your metabolism, then?" you joke, glancing at his trim figure. Ydris preens.

"Stick with me, little dove, and all of your dreams shall come true," says Ydris. "Your dream figure, your dream job, your dream man." He winks. Your cheeks are already burning enough, but you gladly take Ydris' hand as he takes you around the rest of the fairground. He shows you displays of perfect vegetables, the fattest pig you've ever seen next to the largest pumpkin, even a giant potato.

"I wonder how many fries you can make out of that," you say. Ydris laughs.

"Perhaps you know of a certain farmer who would like that large potato to bake," says Ydris. "Thank you baked potato, indeed."

"They'd love to have this fertiliser," you say. "Whatever fertiliser grew that, anyway. Was it the fertiliser from Jorvik Stables? Agnetha said that it grows things really well."

"Let's just say that it was sprinkled with a little magic," says Ydris. You have no idea what he's talking about, but you believe him. Stranger things have happened, after all, and this is his circus of dreams.

Your nose draws you over to the popcorn stand, tended by a person with a corn kernel mask. The popcorn smells buttery and delicious, though you worry about getting corn kernels stuck in your teeth and gums. That can be rather unpleasant. The taste of the sugary sweet cotton candy still lingers on your tongue. You've heard that it's called fairy floss in other countries, and this cotton candy almost deserves that name. Light as air and sweet as nectar.

"Usually, popcorn is reserved for my shows, but we can eat some now," says Ydris, purchasing a box of it for the two of you to share.

"I usually have it while watching movies," you say.

"That too," says Ydris. "But do you really want to end our walk already? After all, it is a date at the fairground."

"Is it really?" you ask, a thrill going through you. But, once the fear has passed, you feel as though you are buzzing. Of course this is a date. Maybe Ydris had even planned this, putting the fairground up here not for himself but for you. For the two of you.

"What do you think?" asks Ydris, taking your hand again. Your palm is suddenly sweaty, but you don't pull away.

"Our first date," you say, excitement bubbling up inside of you. You grin, unable to help yourself. Ydris smiles in return, his whole face lighting up.

"Yes," says Ydris. "The first of hopefully many more to come. Now come, my dove, there is still much to show you."

As you walk, you eat the popcorn. It, like the cotton candy, is unlike anything you've ever tasted before. Rather than being hard, the popcorn crunches pleasingly in your mouth and doesn't even leave behind any kernels. It is buttery and delicious, light and crunchy. It even still tastes like corn. Like the perfect popcorn. You can't stop smiling, the food and the knowledge that this is a date sending your head into a spin.

Ydris shows you some animals, some silly sideshow games (while also telling you how to beat them and which prizes are really worth going for), even a little facepainting booth run by someone in a fairy mask. You are a little old for facepainting, but you appreciate the fact that there is that option here.

Right before the ferris wheel, though, Ydris stops at one more food stand. The popcorn has long since vanished, leaving behind nothing but some buttery, salty residue in the box and on your hands. This stand, to your delight, sells ice cream. Your eyes widen as you take in the delightful array of ice cream flavours on display, and cones and flavours to dip the ice cream into, and sprinkles and marshmallows and chocolate chips.

"Which would you prefer, little dove?" asks Ydris, turning to you. "And do not fret: this ice cream will not drip and ruin your outfit. I will have one too, to prove it."

"I believe you," you say, and you do. You look back at the flavours, trying to choose. At last, you settle on strawberry. Ydris, however, gets one dipped in chocolate and decorated with chocolate chips. He grins at you as he takes a bite out of the chocolate, humming in delight as he eats it. You begin to lick your own ice cream, very much enjoying the cold, sweet treat. It really does taste just like strawberries.

"And now, my dove, up we go," says Ydris, stepping inside of the ferris wheel cage and holding his hand out. "I hope that you are not afraid of heights."

"Not when I'm with you," you say, your heart beating a happy rhythm inside your chest. When you are with Ydris, you feel safe. You know that he won't let you fall.

And so, as the ferris wheel starts up and lifts you higher and higher above Jorvik, you feel safe enough to enjoy the views. Jorvik spreads out beneath you, green and beautiful. You see roads that you ride down every day, fields that you recognise as well as your own face. You feel Ydris' hand in yours, anchoring you to this moment. You turn to look at him, and the sight of him is somehow even more beautiful than the sight of Jorvik below you. The wonderful, magnificent, anything but ordinary Ydris.

And then, before you can chicken out, you lean in and kiss Ydris. Even when the ferris wheel comes to a stop, leaving you two at the top of the wheel, you do not bump foreheads. Perhaps Ydris has frozen the two of you in this moment in time. It certainly feels like that in your mind.

His lips taste like cotton candy.


End file.
